Light up the Dark!
by PeterRabbit92
Summary: Story 2 of 3; My attempt to rewrite the Mass Effect Adapts and combines Dark energy and indoctrination theories with my own Follows the general structure of Mass Effect's ending with changes big and small along the Can be read mostly independent of previous story, but will contain references to
1. The Conduit

**Author's Note:** This story is meant to be a rewrite of the controversial Mass Effect ending. I had difficulty in choosing the best place to beginthe story as the most important changes come from Shepard's meeting with the 'starchild' but in the end I decided to just go with the conduit run as it really marks the start of the ending.

**Important****: **I tried to not add too many specific details to the Shepard in this story. I wanted it to be possible for readers to imagine their own Shepard they had made through their own playthroughs. That said, there will be moments when specific characteristics of Shepard will come through about his background and past actions, but I tried to make it moments which could be re-imagined by readers to make it fit their own character. In the second chapter and in the as yet unwritten final chapter of this story, there will be references that will not be understood unless the reader is familiar with my past story "Clarity." These are the only times this happens and I hope everyone finds some entertainment with both stories.

* * *

The light from the Reaper's Conduit was blinding to Shepard as he sprinted towards it. Even with the tinted faceplate of his helmet, its brilliance was so great he felt as though he could close his eyes and the light would still manage to sear through his eyelids. He forced his mind to clear itself of those extraneous thoughts as he continued to run. Such thoughts could only distract and cause him to falter. And in this situation, to falter would be fatal, death inevitable. So, he continued to run with a single-minded purpose of reaching the conduit while men and women died all around him.

His breathing seemed thunderous to his ears, much louder than it should have been. It acted as a counterpoint to the seemingly silent nightmare happening around him. He was aware of others running with him, sometimes at his side and sometimes behind or before him, but he did not hear their steps even as they crossed his path. He was aware of voices coming through his audio transmitter but he could not hear their words even as they screamed in pain and terror. He was aware of the ribbon of molten fire that was carving its way across the ground but he could not hear as it continued to devour everything it touched whether it was earth, metal, or flesh. And most of all, he was aware of the massive Reaper that looked upon them with neither pity nor mercy as it continued to exterminate them in silence.

Even now, the Reaper that Shepard had come to know as 'Harbinger' unleashed another stream of crimson light upon the forces pushing towards the Conduit. It sliced through the ground, adding another massive furrow as though the scorched land they ran upon was the field of some hellish farmer. The beam swept across an armored transport, the doomed vehicle cut cleanly in two before fires blossomed within and it was consumed by an explosion. Still the beam continued, sweeping from one side of the field to the other, burning everything it touched out of existence before finally fading. This reprieve lasted only moments before the Reaper fired again, killing whole platoons at a time.

Suddenly, Shepard's foot caught in a concealed hole and he began to stumble. He was going too fast to catch his balance and he tumbled to the ground. He managed to turn his wild fall into a controlled roll and saved himself from a crippling injury that would have been fatal. Just as he began to right himself to continue his charge, there was another blinding flash of light. This one was much closer to him than the previous blasts, breaking apart the ground where he would have been had his fall not halted his progress. The blast ripped up the ground and sent pieces of debris flying everywhere. One such piece smashed into his helmet with terrible force, cracking his face plate and momentarily stunning him. With his mind in a daze from the blow, he could only watch numbly as the beam continued on its path into another squad that had almost made it to the Conduit. There was nothing anyone could do and the beam was quickly upon them. It flashed over them for only a moment before moving on but it was enough. Nothing remained of them, not even ash to mark where they had died.

Shepard knew that could have been his own squad and allowed himself a small feeling of relief that they were not here on this mad dash into hell. It had been obvious that this would be a suicide trip for many and he had allowed his desire to keep his team safe rule his decision. With orders to hold position at the Thanix missile site and protect the route for Hammer forces to come through, he had managed to keep them in some relative safety. They had been aware of his intentions and protested of course, especially when they learned he intended to go without them, but they followed their orders in the end. That they were willing to follow his commands in spite of their personal feelings filled Shepard with pride for having such capable people under his command. They would be the kind of people the galactic community would need in the aftermath of this war. These thoughts assured him he had made the right decision and helped to bolster his own courage for what he now had to do.

Struggling with his shaking legs, Shepard forced himself to a stand and set off again, his steps wavering at first but growing more sure and determined with each step. He was now the only one near the Conduit and could feel the eyes off all who were left watching him. Through the cracks in his faceplate, the Conduit had assumed a somewhat distorted image but its position remained clear to him. Lurking within the background, Harbinger's presence also remained certain to him. The monstrous titan was now in the brief cooldown phase of its firing cycle and its glowing eyes seemed to scan the killing field for its next target.

Shepard continued to run for the Conduit, willing his aching body to its utmost limits for speed. He was so close now, the Conduit almost seeming to fill his vision and the light at its center beckoning him closer. Without warning, an involuntary shudder went through him as he became aware of a staggering feeling of cold animosity directed towards him. Sparing a look in the direction of the feeling's source, his heart suddenly lurched in his chest. It seemed that Harbinger had found its next target and every one of its eyes seemed to be focused directly on Shepard. He was so _close_ to his goal but it may as well have been on the other side of the galaxy.

With a flash of light, Harbinger prepared to fire at him. For Shepard, it seemed to be an almost contemptuous act by the Reaper. It was a certainty that it would strike him. There was no hope for him to evade it, no way to defend against it. There would be no pain. One moment he would exist and in the next he would disappear. _Maybe … it won't be such a bad way to go, _Shepard thought and then, Harbinger fired towards him.

And the attack went wide, striking the ground behind him with a roar. Shepard's steps faltered from both the pressure of the explosion and surprise. That attack should have hit him. It had been a certainty. Why then was he still alive? It was not possible for Harbinger to have deliberately missed him. Something must have disturbed its aim but what? Not even EDI could hack into a Reaper. The only thing that could have done it was … _the Conduit_! They had already seen how it could interfere with advanced targeting when in close proximity and he was now so close to it that he could feel the energy billowing off of it in waves.

Whatever the reason for it, it seemed that even Harbinger had been unprepared for a miss. This gave Shepard a few more precious seconds to close on his goal and he struggled to make the most of it. That single miss had been nothing but luck, a failure on the Reaper's part to account for the distortions caused by the Conduit. It would not happen again. Shepard knew for a certainty that the Reaper was now correcting itself and the next shot would finish him.

The sound of his steps changed and he became aware that he was now on a walkway leading right into the heart of the Conduit. He needed just a few more steps and he would make it. A furious, mechanical roar reverberated across the city and Shepard whipped his head towards Harbinger. The Reaper was once again focused entirely on him and the red light shining from its mouth told Shepard that he was out of time.

Gathering the last of his strength in his legs, Shepard leaped with his arms outstretched toward the pillar of light in front of him. Time seemed to pass impossibly slow, each second seeming to stretch for an eternity. He felt rather than saw Harbinger beginning to fire. And then he was suddenly bathed in light, his body being compressed from all sides. Just as the pressure became so great he believed he would burst, it suddenly reversed and he could feel himself being stretched and pulled to wherever the Conduit led.


	2. Citadel

The energy of the Conduit _roared_ around him. It was not an actual sound that he could hear but rather a feeling that pressed all around him and pushed him onwards. Similar to that of a fast-flowing river, it surrounded him with a constant ebb and flow of pressure that soaked through his body with its power and robbed him of his senses. For a few brief moments that lasted an eternity, his mind was free from the pain and terror that had been a constant companion for so long. And then, before he could prepare himself or even grow aware of what was happening, he was released from the Conduit deep within the Citadel.

He found himself flying through the air, his body still being propelled by the force of his jump. His weight immediately caught back up to him and he crashed to the ground in an ungraceful tangle of arms and legs. He continued laying on the ground in a semi-daze as he struggled to breathe and bring air back into his aching body. The ground seemed strangely soft and uneven. After a few seconds passed and he could feel his breathing begin to steady, he forced himself to sit up despite the persistent ache, a muffled groan escaping him.

Looking around himself, he noticed for the first time that the area he was in seemed to be engulfed in a state of almost total darkness save for a few, dim light sources that seemed to be the equivalent of the emergency lights on the Normandy. Coupled with the distortions caused by the cracks in his faceplate, he could make out nothing more than indistinct shapes around him. Fully aware that he was alone on what was now a hostile station, he began to quickly undo the locks connecting his helmet to the rest of his protective body armor. Although it would be a significant risk for him if he were to encounter any ground forces, he could not risk walking blindly into a trap because he couldn't see what was around him.

Finally, he managed to undo the last lock and he removed the damaged helmet. As soon as he lifted it beyond his face, he was assaulted by a foul miasma of stench. As he fought to keep his gorge from rising, his mind began to associate the different smells with familiar words and images. There was the coppery scent of blood, the putrid rotting of meat, and the sourness of sewage. Even as he began to form an image of his surroundings based on smell alone, his eyes adjusted to the dimness and he could see the horror before him.

Bodies. Dozens, no, hundreds of bodies! They filled the entire corridor he had appeared in. Looking down where he lay, he realized that what he had thought had been the ground had been corpses. Several of them had died with their eyes open and now they stared at him blankly with their faces fixed in whatever expression of horror they had worn as they died.

Scrambling to his feet, Shepard stepped away from the pile of death and onto the sliver of exposed floor that ran the length of the corridor in the middle of all the carnage. Redoubling his efforts to prevent his stomach from emptying and ignoring the blood and other unnamable substances beneath his feet, Shepard struggled to calm himself and look at his surroundings objectively.

The first thing he noticed was that the only common factor was that all of the bodies before him were human. Other than that, they varied from one another in every possible way. Different races, different genders, different body types, different age groups, everything was different. It was as though the Reapers had wanted to collect the entire spectrum of humanity, but for what? It had been theorized that the Reapers could only turn human corpses into husks soon after death, or longer if the bodies were carefully maintained. Otherwise, the bodies would decompose too quickly to be viable for the transformation. A sense of terrible unease suddenly came over him and he could feel an idea beginning to form just beyond his reach.

Before he could grasp it, he heard his transmitter suddenly crackle into life and a familiar voice called out.

"Shepard! Shepard, are you there? This is Anderson!"

Startled out of his reverie, Shepard automatically adjusted his transmitter to allow him to reply. "Anderson? This is Shepard, come in."

"Goddamn, it's good to hear your voice Shepard!" Anderson replied with relief. We weren't too sure you had made it after that last attack."

"How did you manage to make it up here?"

"With the Reaper focusing on you, we had a chance to rally for one last charge on the Conduit. I was the only one to break through." Anderson's voice was a rough whisper as he added, "We lost a lot of good people for this."

"I know, but it's a sacrifice that gives us the chance to end this war once and for all." Shepard couldn't tell if he was trying to convince the admiral or himself. It didn't matter that it was true, not when so many had been led to slaughter because of their orders. No, he couldn't dwell on this now. He needed a clear head now more than ever. The first step was to focus on the mission at hand. "Where are you at now Anderson?"

"I'm not sure. I'm in some kind of room and … Shepard its full of _bodies_." Shepard could hear the disgust underlaid with a tightly controlled fury in Anderson's voice which matched his own.

"It's the same where I am," Shepard replied. "We have to be in some kind of processing area deep in the Citadel."

"We knew it would get bad Shepard and I've seen things in these last few months that will haunt me for the rest of my life, but this!? What possible reason could the Reapers have to justify doing this!?"

"There _is_ no justifying this Anderson. No matter what reason they have, nothing is worth this. And the sooner we can find a way to open the Citadel and fire the Crucible, the sooner we can pay them back for every life they have taken."

"You're right," Anderson replied. Shepard could hear it in his tone that he was trying to collect himself. "And the first thing we need to do is find a way to get the hell out of here. For now, try to locate a main hub or control room. And Shepard," Anderson warned, "be careful. We're on our own up here in unknown territory so maintain radio silence unless it's an emergency."

With that warning, Shepard ended the communication between them. He suddenly felt more alone than he had in a long time. All of those strong words he had said to Anderson had been little more than a mask to hide his own panic. Surrounded by such death, it was difficult to maintain any kind of optimism. Almost out of reflex, he allowed his hand to come up and rest on his chest. Underneath it, covered by body armor and clothing, was a perfectly circular medallion. Constructed of a bluish metal, the medallion lacked any surface characteristics to make it valuable or significant. Even so, it was one of the most precious items he possessed. It acted as a link to the person he wanted to protect the most. The steady warmth and regular beat he could feel on his chest issuing from it showed that the person connected to it was still alive. She, as well as the rest of the galaxy, was counting on him to succeed. It was a small thing, but it reminded him that he was never alone, that everyone was fighting together in their own ways. Feeling reassured, he began to look for a way out.

The wall behind him effectively limited his choices for finding a way out. The wall looked solid with no doors or any other way to pass through. The same could be said for the left and right sides as well. All that was left then was to move forward and hope that there was an exit and that he hadn't trapped himself. Taking care of where he stepped, he slowly made his way forward. After a few moments of walking, he was rewarded with the sight of what was unmistakably a door. It opened at his approach, the door splitting into halves that slid away from sight with only a slight hiss of sound.

Cautiously sticking his head out to check his surroundings, Shepard was reassured when he saw nothing in sight and stepped out. The hallway he now found himself in seemed identical to the room he had just left besides the obvious lack of bodies. Like that horrible room, the hallway was only dimly lighted and visibility was poor. Spaced along regular intervals along both sides of the hallway were doors similar to the one he had just exited. With a shudder, he realized that all of them held the same contents. To his right, the hallway continued onward until it was lost in darkness. To his left, the hallway extended a ways before breaking into an intersection. He wasted no time in his decision and moved towards the intersection. He was walking effectively blind in these halls and one way was as good as the other. Besides, the intersection could have some markings to identify where he was or where he needed to go.

Just as he reached the junction of the two halls, he heard what was undoubtedly footsteps coming from straight ahead but the light was too dim for him to see anything. He briefly considered the idea that it was Anderson but immediately discarded it. The steps were odd. They sounded soft, almost delicate, and they moved at a perfectly orderly pace that was neither hurrying nor dawdling. If it was moving that way then it must not have spotted him yet but that would soon change. The hallway was perfectly clear of obstacles and there was no door close enough to dart into. As he reached for his firearm, he realized with a start that it was missing. It was probably back down on Earth where he had fallen during Harbinger's attack. In that case, he needed to rely on surprise to take down whatever this was that was steadily drawing nearer. He crouched down next to the wall to present a smaller target and prepared himself to rush forward.

With a final, delicate step, the source of the footsteps walked into the light. Shepard started forward with a surge but immediately held himself back out of surprise. The Keeper that had walked out had stopped at his approach and now regarded him with a look devoid of any feeling. The insect-appearing alien did not seem to be a threat. In fact, it seemed natural to Shepard now that he would encounter these mysterious caretakers this deep within the Citadel. This particular one was likely heading to area damaged by the fighting going on. Feeling relieved at the lack of a threat, Shepard made to continue on past the Keeper and leave it in peace.

He never expected the Keeper to raise its arm to halt his progress. He could feel his eyes widening in surprise and the tension that had departed a moment before return even stronger. The Keeper maintained its blank expression and only continued to watch him. Suddenly hearing more of those delicate footsteps, Shepard spun around and his tension increased further at what he saw. A Keeper was standing at the entrance to another passage and another now stood at the mouth of the passage he had just traveled through.

Looking back and forth between the three, Shepard quickly considered what to do. He had never heard of the Keepers ever taking notice of another before. They were the silent caretakers of the Citadel, seamlessly repairing any damage done to the station and ensuring that the species of the galaxy could live there in peace. They were also tools of the Reapers, or had been once. Although they had believed them to be safe, it was possible that the Reapers had since fixed what had gone wrong and could use them as a fighting force similar to the Collectors. If so, then his situation was very bad.

As one, all three of the Keepers raised their arms. Shepard tried to prepare himself but he could feel his heart race deep within his chest. However, he noticed that they weren't actually pointing towards him. They were really pointing towards the fourth passageway that remained empty. Looking over all three of the Keepers for signs of hostility, he saw only the same blank expression that they always had, their arms patiently pointing toward the empty hall. Keeping his eyes upon them for any change, he took a single step back to the hall. Seeing that they remained motionless, he took another cautious step, and another until he was walking quickly towards it. For whatever reason, it seemed the Keepers were trying to guide him rather than cause him harm. He was aware that it could be a trap. Even so, he had little desire to stay near them and this way was as good as any other for now.

Shepard continued through the halls, his pace gradually increasing so that he was moving through the endless passageways at a comfortable lope he could maintain for some time. The echo of his steps was a clear indication of his presence to anything in the area but in this situation he favored speed over discretion. Every second wasted meant the death of more of those fighting to buy him time. Besides, he had yet to see any other being come across his path. Except, of course, for the Keepers. The enigmatic creatures continued to cross his path, each one lifting its arm to direct him down his path. Each looked identical to the next and wore the same blank expression.

After an interminable amount of time, Shepard began to notice a difference to his surroundings. The air seemed to be weighted with a presence that pressed around him seeking to smother him. For the first time in what seemed an eternity, he could hear sounds other than his running steps. It wasn't exactly loud but it reached deep into his bones from his feet's contact with the floor and made his skin tingle. It was all accompanied by an odd hum in his ears like the buzzing of a gnat that seemed distinctly separate from the rest.

Rounding another corner, he found his path ending at a door for the first time. Taking a moment to compose himself for whatever was on the other side, he moved to stand directly in front of it and the door parted for him. He was suddenly awash in light. It was not blinding but rather seemed somewhat muted. Even so, it was enough to reveal the cavernous space he now found himself in. As he stared at the colossal structure before him, he felt his legs struggle to support his unsteady weight and knew that he could never prepare himself enough for what he now saw.

The newly begun Reaper hovered above him, its unfinished, humanlike skull suspended by several tubes that Shepard knew also worked to provide it with a steady supply of genetic material. Like pieces of a puzzle, thoughts and ideas that had been at the edge of his conscious suddenly clicked into place and the picture they presented to him was staggering in its implications. All of those rooms filled with human bodies were going to be used to once again give life to this abomination. Should the allied forces fail to stop them here, the Reapers would be free to continue taking and using any number of humans to finish this twisted creation. And once they had finished with humanity, the Reapers would continue with this process unimpeded across all of the occupied worlds of the galaxy, creating Reaper versions of every existing race.

Stepping forward to the edge of the platform he was on, Shepard could see the chamber was separated into three levels: the floor beneath him, the level he was currently on, and one far above him. Each of the elevated tiers formed a complete ring with doors like the one he had just entered through leading off from the chamber. And each level was occupied by a number of Keepers. They stood beside machines that Shepard could only guess at their function. Several were dragging what he hoped were corpses across the ground towards numerous pods attached to the wall, their seemingly fragile bodies more than capable for the work.

All of this came to a halt as the Keepers suddenly reacted to his presence and directed their empty gazes towards him. Feeling increasingly alarmed and certain that a trap would soon be sprung now that he was in the heart of the enemy's territory, Shepard tried to contact Anderson and warn him of what he had found. His stomach dropped as all that came over the transmitter was static. Struggling to control his shaky emotions, he became aware of one of the Keepers silently walking towards him and he faced it to prepare himself for whatever assault was to come.

However, instead of exhibiting any aggression, the creature stopped several feet away and then turned itself around. It walked a few steps forward and then stopped. Deliberately turning its head to face him once more, the Keeper continued to patiently watch him. Recognizing that he was being silently prodded to follow it, Shepard began to slowly walk toward the Keeper. Seeming satisfied that he was now following it the mysterious creature faced forward and continued to walk.

As it guided Shepard along, the other Keepers moved from the path to stand along the sides of the walkway. Devoid of any expression, their round, black eyes maintained their silent vigil as he passed. The absolute silence aside from the hum of machinery coupled with his surroundings and the bizarre nature of what was happening lent the situation an illusory air as though he had unknowingly crossed the border between dream and reality.

The dreamlike walk finally came to an end as his guide stopped by a door that seemed the perfect duplicate of the many others he had passed. Responding to some unseen signal, the door parted itself to allow him to pass on to another hallway, this one much shorter than the others and devoid of any openings save for a single exit at the end. He walked half the length of the hall before turning around for one last look back. The Keeper that had acted as his guide returned his gaze for a moment and then was gone as the door shut between them. Returning his focus to the task at hand, Shepard quickly finished the trek to the sole exit from the hall.

He suddenly found himself in a much more open area. Looking to the sides, he could see what he assumed were immense power generators in a constant state of adjustment as they popped and sparked with visible electricity. They made a massive circle that was lost behind the large structure directly before him. Said structure reached the ceiling high above and bulged outwards to take up the majority of the room. It was easily the equal of the Reaper chamber he had just left and was possibly even larger. The walkway he was on led right to the heart of it and he continued down it certain that he had finally found the control hub he had been looking for.

Shepard had expected to immediately pass into the interior of the structure once he passed the initial opening, but the walkway continued much further into it before finally slanting up into an open room. Taking a quick look around, he idly estimated that this chamber took only perhaps a quarter of the total area he had judged the hub to cover. Overall, the chamber had very little to distinguish it from the areas he had already passed through. It was certainly much brighter. Thanks to that, he could see everything much more clearly. There were three other entryways on the wall in each direction similar to the one he had just emerged from. Set in the center of the room was a large computer terminal set in a semi-circle with the opening towards him. And standing right before it in his path was a dreadfully familiar figure. The Illusive Man.


	3. Confrontation

The Illusive Man stood facing away from Shepard, holding his hands behind his back in a seemingly relaxed stance. Despite this being the first time Shepard had come this physically close to the man and the fact he could not properly see his face, he had no doubt of his identity. After interfering in their plans so many times before, it seemed only right that The Illusive Man would be present in the final moments of this conflict. Ready to confront the man, Shepard took another step forward.

"That's far enough, Commander."

The words were easily spoken and reflected a calm authority that fit the man who had spoken them quite comfortably. Shepard found himself stopping, not for the command, but for the sudden wariness that had come over him when the man had spoken. His instincts were _screaming_ at him that something was very wrong. He was unaware of what it was that had set them off. There had just been something to the man's voice that caused a ball of ice to form in his belly. He tried to tell himself that the fear was irrational. The Illusive Man had yet to make any aggressive action and he was only clad in his customary suit while Shepard was fully protected by body armor. As The Illusive Man turned around, however, such thoughts were driven away from him and his vague sense of dread solidified.

"What the hell have you done," Shepard whispered. His words were not intended to evoke a reply, only to express his disbelief. The Illusive Man continued to simply regard him with a cool indifference while the extensive cybernetic implants covering his face and down his throat past the neck of his suit softly glowed with a blue light. He now looked nothing less than a human husk and Shepard was sure that the implants were as extensive throughout the rest of his body as well.

"What I've done is what I always promised to do," The Illusive Man stated. "I have found the means to control the Reapers and am now taking the final steps necessary to complete the process." His voice carried that same cold authority as before but there was something else as well. He needed to continue the conversation while he tried to puzzle out what was different and then plan his next move.

"Control them!? You mean by turning yourself into one of their husks?"

"I admit that the process has been somewhat unsettling, but the results will show that I am right and that is all that matters."

"How can you be so blind?" Shepard countered. "The Reapers can't be controlled. You might be able to command their husks but a Reaper is far beyond that." Shepard paused a moment as a thought suddenly occurred to him. "Were you the one controlling those Keepers? Were you trying to show me your power? If so, then I certainly wasn't impressed."

The Illusive Man slightly tilted his head to the side as he regarded Shepard silently for a moment. "I don't know what you mean about the Keepers," he finally said, "but do not think for a moment that you actually understand what I can do. I've watched you Shepard and I know what you are capable of, but I also know what you lack not and you are certainly no scientist."

"You may be right, but I don't need to know everything to be aware of the dangers the Reapers represent or how destroying them would finally end this war while controlling them would only postpone it. Or can you swear to me that if you could actually bring them under your control that they would never be able to break free?"

Shepard's question seemed to catch The Illusive Man off guard as he continued to stand silently for several seconds while Shepard could see the debate seemingly raging in his head by the tiny twitches and jerks throughout his body. With a final shake of his head, he focused his attention back to Shepard. "You … have a point. But what you fail to understand is that this is no longer a question between destruction and control Shepard. I have the means to actually achieve my goal. All you have is some alien tech that no living being in the galaxy today understands."

"If you could just trust in someone other than yourself and stand aside, we can end this war here and now!" Shepard's frustration was getting the better of him. The Illusive Man just refused to consider any alternative that he had not arrived at himself. He was limited by his own prejudices and blind to so many possibilities. It was irrational that he was willing to bet the entirety of the galaxy's future on the possibility of controlling the evermore dangerous and alien Reapers. Why was he so fixated on controlling them? All he was achieving now was to delay any action and causing more harm. It was as though The Illusive Man wanted to delay him, but that didn't make any sense, unless …

That trail of thought led Shepard to a conclusion that made his blood run cold. If his assumption was right, it would explain so much of The Illusive Man's actions and behaviors. It would also mean that he was in greater danger now than he had thought before.

"I can't do that Shepard," The Illusive Man continued. "I have made it this far by sacrificing more than you can imagine and I am not about to throw that away by handing the fate of the galaxy to an idealist who would sacrifice everything just to maintain his sense of integrity."

After subtly positioning his body so that his back was to the wall and shifting his stance to allow for rapid movement in order to prepare himself for the likely fallout of his next words, Shepard spoke in a voice of quiet authority that demanded to be answered. "Is it really because of your pride that you won't back down, or is it because the Reapers won't let you decide for yourself anymore?"

The Illusive Man displayed no reaction to Shepard's accusation. There were no involuntary twitches, no shifting of the eyes, nor any other subtle sign he would have displayed if he had been surprised. That was confirmation enough for Shepard. No matter how well-trained The Illusive Man might be in hiding his body signals, there would always be something to give away his mental state. No living organic could ever fully control the subconscious impulses of the mind. Only synthetics, and those they controlled, could manage to do so.

"Just what exactly are you accusing me of, Shepard?" The Illusive Man's voice held no change whatsoever. There was no agitation, no shock. It possessed all the calm dignity and authority it always had. His voice was perfectly clear and pure. And it was entirely devoid of all the feelings inherent to people.

"What I am saying is that the person once known as The Illusive Man is already dead. All that's left is this talking corpse. Isn't that right … Harbinger?"

Again, the body before him displayed no reaction. However, Shepard could feel something changing in the air about him. The creature suddenly bowed its head low. It convulsed as tremors suddenly ran throughout it causing its hands to clench and its body to shake so that Shepard thought it must fall down. And then the moment passed as quickly as it had come and the being before him grew still. As though unsure of the body supporting it, its head raised itself slowly back up to stare at Shepard. The person known as The Illusive Man had possessed eyes of a bright and vibrant blue. The creature that stood before him now, however, stared at him with eyes of a familiar and sickly yellow. It opened its mouth and began to speak.

"**SHEPARD**." The voice that now rose from what had once been The Illusive Man was far too alien to be human. It contained no malice nor feeling of any kind. It conveyed only a simple patience and presence that was as vast as the universe. "**YOU AND YOUR PEOPLE CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE WITHOUT MEANING. YOUR ACTIONS NOW, ONLY SERVE TO REDUCE THOSE WHO ARE TO BE TAKEN FOR THE HARVEST. YOU HARM ONLY YOURSELVES. THIS ONE THOUGHT THAT HE COULD HARNESS OUR POWER. INSTEAD, HE LEARNED THAT WE ARE ABSOLUTE AND NOW SERVES US TO PRESERVE THE HARVEST.**"

"How can you speak of doing the greater good? I've seen the results of your 'harvest.' Countless people murdered and mutilated just so that you can create more Reapers!" Shepard allowed his voice to carry all the scorn and disgust the sight of those rooms had inspired within him. He might as well have stayed silent for all the response he received.

"**YOU RESIST BECAUSE YOU CANNOT COMPREHEND OUR PURPOSE. THE CYCLE OF HARVESTS MUST BE CONTINUED. ITS DISRUPTION WOULD SIGNIFY THE END OF ALL LIFE**."

"You destroy life to save it? That makes no sense!" Shepard exclaimed. "You Reapers have always talked in riddles and then accuse us of being incapable of understanding. If you would have just given us a chance and tried to explain, there might have been no need for this war!"

"**YOUR ASSUMPTION IS FLAWED. EFFORTS TO ENLIGHTEN PREVIOUS CYCLES WERE MADE BUT NONE COULD ACCEPT THE TRUTHS WE PROVIDED.**" The Reaper's response was as cold and pitiless as space itself. "**ALL THAT IS NECESSARY FOR YOU TO KNOW IS THAT WE SEEK TO REMOVE THE BARRIERS OF INDIVIDUALITY AMONG ORGANICS SO THAT WE MAY BRING THEM INTO THE UNITY OF THE REAPERS.**"

Shepard could feel the conclusion of their discussion coming to an end. Harbinger had no interest in peace. It had persisted with these cycles of destruction for countless cycles and there was nothing he could say that would disturb its fixation on its goal. However, Shepard could not help but to make one last appeal if for no other reason than to show his defiance. "What you don't understand is that it is our individuality that gives value to our existence. The ability to _choose _from all the paths our lives can take is what makes life worth living. What you are forcing upon us is nothing more than death!"

The attack came just as Shepard knew it would, but it was faster than he could imagine. Even though he had been looking for any sign of the Reaper's attack, it was simply too quick for him to counter. The Reaper controlled husk moved towards him, its cybernetically enhanced form little more than a blur to his eyes. His reflexes saved his life as he instinctively dived away into a controlled roll. There was a loud _crack_ like that of thunder and he could feel the ground shiver. Looking back to where he had been, he saw the husk lift its hand from the ground where numerous cracks spiderwebbed across the floor. It turned itself to face Shepard and stared at him with what had once been the face of The Illusive Man.

Shepard shifted himself to counter the next blow. As he thought, the husk came directly towards him again. It seemed that Harbinger was relying solely on the body's extraordinary speed and strength in this fight. It meant that Shepard had a chance if he could counter its first strike. After seeing how quick it was before, he was better able to track it and judge his next movement. Just as it reached him and began its attack, Shepard shifted slightly to the side. Although he was still slower than the husk before him, his movement was much smaller and quicker to complete. Because of this, he was able to just dodge the thrust of the husk's hand. If he had been just a moment slower, the synthetically strengthened arm would have pierced through his armor and body with little resistance.

It was unlikely that the Reaper had ever been directly involved in a fistfight, so it knew only how to use its overwhelming power and speed. Its inexperience with fighting left it without knowledge of any kind of technique. That oversight was what had enabled Shepard to avoid death just as it had been with the attack at the Conduit. Now that it had experienced Shepard's dodge, it would know what to look for in the future and would plan accordingly. In this moment, however, it was off-balanced and entirely at his mercy. If he would not have another chance like this, he needed to make the most of it.

He swung his arm with all the power he could draw upon, feeling his muscles, bones, and skin all pull tight, his armor adding even more to his strength. The husk was just beginning to turn to face him as his fist slammed into it, his gauntleted hand landing perfectly on its unprotected cheek. Flesh tore, bones snapped, and its head snapped to the side with a sickening twist.

Shepard felt a moment of exhilaration at defeating the final obstacle in his way. His relief vanished, however, as the husk turned its head back towards him. Its face was ruined from the blow, the flesh torn away to expose the broken bones and cybernetics underneath. The most disturbing of all was that no blood flowed from the wound. He briefly wondered if it had been drained prior to The Illusive Man's transformation, before he was suddenly flung across the room by a tremendous force.

His impact with the ground drove the remaining air from his body and he continued to slide across the floor until he finally collided with the wall. Even with his head dizzy and ears ringing, his instincts forced him to regain his feet although his legs felt as though they would buckle. He was able to notice that his armor was now cracked when a hand suddenly grabbed him by the throat. The husk slowly easily lifted him with a single arm as though he were nothing but a child's toy. With his airway constricted, he was soon struggling for breath and found himself staring down into the remaining good eye of the husk.

"**AS YOU WERE TOLD BEFORE, RESISTANCE IS MEANINGLESS,**" Harbinger intoned. "**IN THE END, ALL INFERIOR BEINGS WILL BE HARVESTED. HOWEVER, YOU WILL BE GRANTED THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CHOICE YOU DESIRE. SUBMIT TO THE INEVITABLE AND BE HARVESTED, OR HAVE YOUR EXISTENCE END HERE AND NOW.**"

Still struggling to breathe and his vision beginning to swim, Shepard gathered up his strength for a final act of defiance. Showing the Reaper-controlled husk a feral grin, he gave it his answer. "How about I send you to hell instead you bastard!?"

"I couldn't have said it better myself," a voice shouted.

As the husk began to turn towards the source of the voice, the boom of a handgun roared out and it's body was struck in the side by a devastatingly powerful shot. The shock of the impact was enough to make it involuntarily release its hold on Shepard and cause its body to spin away from him. Somehow managing to stay on his feet and catch his breath, Shepard looked towards the voice's origin and experienced a welcome sight. Admiral David Anderson stood at the entrance of a hall different from the one he had entered through, his sidearm drawn and steady.

However, even as Shepard realized Anderson's presence, he became aware that Harbinger was already on the move. The round that had impacted with the side of the husk had managed to tear out a sizeable chunk from its body but it had failed to impede any of its functions. With the ruthless rationality of its master, it had already prioritized the admiral as the greatest threat and was making its way toward him.

Shepard watched as Anderson fired again and again towards the quickly closing husk but to no effect. Whatever implants The Illusive Man had taken, they were obviously superior to those of the common human husk. The blurring speed at which it travelled allowed it to quickly approach the admiral. Its route became staggered as it successfully evaded every shot fired at it. In less time than should have been possible, it was upon Anderson.

Rather than attempt the piercing attack Shepard had evaded earlier, it demonstrated its adaptability and struck with a backhand that had a much broader range. The blow was much less powerful than a thrust, but the difference was negligible in terms of damage. What had managed to easily crack Shepard's armor would easily be lethal to Anderson who was unarmored. Anderson was unable to evade the attack, but he did manage to position himself so that his arm received much of the force. There was a sickening crunch of shattering bones and he was flung across the room to land heavily on his back.

In spite of pain that Shepard knew would be excruciating, Anderson managed to stay conscious and struggled to bring himself up with several pained grunts. With one arm hanging uselessly, the other trying to desperately hold on to his gun, and pain clouding his senses, the task was beyond him. His efforts were abruptly cut short as the husk placed a foot on his chest and forced him back down. It used its other foot to kick away the gun as he weakly brought it up and it skittered uselessly across the ground, seemingly unaware that it had gone in Shepard's direction. He began to move toward it, his steps still slow and uncertain.

"Get the hell off me," Anderson loudly demanded through clenched teeth, his hand ineffectively pulling at the offending object. The husk merely watched him for a moment, studying him much like a man would study an unusual bug he had found underfoot. Then it bent down, seized Anderson by the throat, and casually lifted him to his feet.

"**ADMIRAL ANDERSON, WE HAVE OBSERVED YOUR STRUGGLE ON EARTH. SIMILAR TO COMMANDER SHEPARD, YOU ACT AS A RALLYING FORCE THAT HAS PROPAGATED THE RESISTANCE TO A GREATER DEGREE THAN WHAT WAS EXPECTED.**" Despite the impassive way Harbinger spoke, the manner in which it studied Anderson seemed to suggest it was in a serious deliberation. "**WHAT PURPOSE DOES YOUR DEFIANCE SERVE? YOU RESIST IN THE BELIEF THAT YOUR ACTIONS WILL SAVE LIFE, YET YOU RECKLESSLY RISK YOUR OWN. YOUR ACTIONS CONTRADICT THEMSELVES.**"

Still inching forward, Shepard could hear the admiral give off a dry laugh that quickly faded into a grunt of pain. "Its something … you have to be alive for … in order to understand." Anderson's words came out choppy and strained but were still full of his determination for Shepard to hear. "Monsters like you … can never understand … what it means … to value life … or what it sometimes takes … in order to save it." He paused a moment to gather his strength before letting his last words come out in a rush. "I'm going to enjoy taking you to hell with me."

For a moment that seemed to stretch on and on, Harbinger continued to study Anderson. Then it reached whatever decision it had been searching for. **"ADMIRAL ANDERSON, YOU ARE JUDGED TO BE A DISRUPTIVE INFLUENCE TO THOSE AROUND YOU. YOU ARE UNFIT FOR HARVEST DUE TO YOUR INHERENT THREAT TO THE UNITY OF THE REAPERS. FOR THAT REASON, YOUR IMMEDIATE TERMINATION IS NECESSARY."** And with no other warning, it immediately thrust its unused hand into Anderson's abdomen.

"No!" Shepard cried out.

Reminded of his presence, Harbinger turned to face him. It saw that during the time it had been involved with Anderson, he had managed to close the distance to the gun and he was now bringing it up to fire. It was then that Anderson seized it with his remaining good arm, keeping its hand buried deep within him in order to keep it from moving away.

"I told you … I'm taking you to hell … with me," he wheezed.

Shepard mechanically squeezed the trigger, barely taking notice of the recoil as the weapon fired. He kept all of his focus on his target, namely the previously damaged area of the husk's face. The round impacted faster than the eye could follow but its effects were visible. It tore through flesh, bone, and tech, gore and ichor spraying out. The husk collapsed limply to the ground with Anderson finally releasing his hold on its arm. He soon followed and fell to his back beside the corpse.

Shepard rushed over to his side, the gun falling away unnoticed. As he came closer, he was able to better see the severity of the damage the admiral had taken, and he felt his throat tighten in despair. The wound was too traumatic for him to stop the blood flow. Even if they'd had medi-gel to seal the surface wound, the internal injuries were too severe to hope for a recovery in these conditions. Not letting his feelings show on his face, Shepard allowed his body to function automatically and adhere to the familiar routine of administering emergency first-aid. However, just as he knelt beside his long-time friend, Anderson spoke to him.

"Save it … Shepard. We both know … I've had it."

"With all due respect, sir, shut the hell up you stubborn bastard," he said out of reflex.

Anderson let out a weak laugh that quickly choked off into a gurgle. "Since when … have you been able … to order give me orders?"

"Since you lost your mind and chose to offer yourself up to be killed," Shepard said. And he realized it was true. If Anderson had waited, he would have had the opening for a fatal shot. Instead, he had given up the element of surprise for what had only amounted to a distraction, the price of which was now his life. Shepard felt he knew why but he wanted to hear the answer from the man himself.

"Why? Why didn't you wait for the chance to get a better shot? You could have saved yourself!"

"Wasn't time … if I had waited … he would have killed you. Some sacrifices … have to be made … for the good of all." Anderson's voice had become raspy and he was beginning to struggle more for breath. "I've lived my life for the Alliance … made my mistakes … given up everything. After this is over … the galaxy won't be the same … there won't be a place for people like me … it'll be for people like you. Just swear to me … that no matter what you do … you'll live in a way you believe in … not out of duty ... or obligation."

"Anders-,"

"Swear!" Shepard could hear him try to put all his feeling into the command but the exertion proved to be too much for him. He degenerated into a fit of pained coughing, his face contorted in agony and blood began to trickle out of the corners of his mouth. Unable to give him any help, Shepard stood by and waited helplessly for the coughing to subside. When Anderson finally caught his breath, Shepard took his hands into his own and met his gaze.

"I swear."

"Then … I leave it to you." His words came out with a bare whisper of breath and his eyes fluttered closed. Shepard waited in hope of hearing him inhale once again or to see the movement of his chest to show that he was still alive. There was nothing.

Shepard looked down at the body of Admiral David Anderson. The man was bloody and his body broken. And yet, his face seemed to be oddly relaxed, as though he was finally at rest. Even in death, the man possessed dignity. He deserved so much more than this. He deserved a life and to be surrounded by those he considered friends. He didn't deserve death at the hands of a monster. It was all so unreasonable and absurd. Shepard had to wonder if this was really all he could expect for himself as well. His mind immediately recoiled from the thought to focus on the task at hand. The war was so close to being over. There would be time enough to consider things later. For now, it was time to end this.

Rising to his feet, he walked to the terminal. With a wave of his omni-tool, a holographic screen came into existence over it. A massive amount of information began to barrage him, but he noticed that it was all structured for simplicity. He was able to quickly locate the commands he needed and with a few touches he was done. He could feel tremors running throughout the station as the five arms of the Citadel began to open and spread themselves out. Despite not being able to see it happen, the information reflected on the monitor and his omni-tool kept him aware of what was happening. As they continued to open wide, the results of another one of his efforts soon made itself known.

"Shepard! Shepard are you there!?" Admiral Hackett's voice suddenly buzzed in his ear.

"Hackett, this is Shepard. I've managed to open the arms. You can bring the Crucible in now!"

"We're already on the move. Shield's forces are clearing a path and we should be docking the Crucible in a matter of minutes. You've done it Commander! Pretty soon, we'll have won this war."

"It wasn't just me sir. Anderson … Anderson deserves the credit for this one."

"Anderson's with you? We've been trying to reach him but he hasn't responded.", Hackett must realized that something was wrong as Shepard kept his silence because his voice was filled with concern as he asked. "Shepard, what's happened?"

"Anderson's gone sir. The Reapers had The Illusive Man waiting for us and Anderson sacrificed himself so we could have this chance."

"Damn." Shepard could hear the Admiral's remorse at the news, but he quickly composed himself and continued. "All we can do now is make sure it wasn't for nothing. For now, remain on stand-by and we'll keep you aware of the situation."

Ending the communication between them, Shepard felt himself slowly relax. It was over. The Crucible would soon trigger and destroy the Reapers. The war had taken a staggering toll on the Galaxy. A quick look behind him at Anderson's body served as ample reminder of this. So much senseless death and destruction for a reason they would never know. If he was honest with himself, that part frustrated him the most. He would never know why the Reapers had continued with these cycles of death, but there was nothing he could do about it. It would be up to the intellectuals and theorists to puzzle out the Reapers' purpose. He would be busy deciding what to do next.

For several minutes, Shepard continued to wait in silence. Alone with his thoughts, he had difficulty in keeping his mind from going down distracting avenues of thought. His omni-tool finally alerted him to the Crucible drawing close. After a few final tremors, it alerted him that the Crucible was successfully docked and he waited for what would come next.

And waited.

And waited.

Nothing happened.

Shepard immediately raised the Admiral on his transmitter. "Hackett, what's wrong?"

"We don't know Shepard. Our scans say that the Crucible is docked with the Citadel but nothing is happening. It must be something on your end."

Shepard quickly scanned through the information the terminal presented to him. "I'm going to need a little more than that Hackett! My omni-tool isn't telling me anything and this terminal doesn't have a fire button on it."

"You need to figure something out Shepard! We're taking heavy losses here and we can't hold the Reapers back for much longer."

"I'm trying!"

Everything was falling apart! Nothing on the screens in front of him were telling him anything useful. His omni-tool had managed to convert enough of the information to a format he could use to open the Citadel and prepare for the Crucible, but there was just too much for him to search through even if he knew what he was looking for. This was something that required multiple people and plenty of time to sort through the data. This wasn't something he could do on his own. Had The Illusive Man been right? Had they doomed themselves by relying on some tech they barely understood?

No, he told himself. He couldn't believe that now. Too much was at stake to be second-guessing himself. There had to be something here that he was missing. He began to scroll through the information again. There had to be somet-

Shepard suddenly felt a crushing grip on his arm and was spun around. The corpse of The Illusive Man stood staring at him with its single eye, the other half of his face missing. Shepard distantly noted that the light shining from the eye was now bluish-white. The dead man emitted a piercing shriek that burrowed deep into his head and its eye flashed so brightly that it blinded him. He was able to withstand the agonizing assault on his senses for only an instant before he blacked out.


	4. Truth

**Author's Note:** This is the main part of the story that tries to change the Mass Effect ending. I'm not really crazy about how it turned out stylistically. There was a lot of information I needed to put down so it's basically an infodump. I tried to model it after Mass Effects Q&A style to make it easier to read. Despite my reservations about this chapter's style, it pretty much says everything I wanted it to say. Please read and review and if you have any specific questions, send me a message and I'll seek to answer to the best of my ability.

* * *

Everything around him was in darkness. It stretched out to infinity on every side. Even beneath him was only darkness. Shepard knew that he was not falling, that he must be standing on something, but he could feel nothing beneath his feet as he stood there. The only break in the darkness was a vast multitude of lights shining brightly above him. _Stars_, his mind blearily told him but that did not feel right. The stars he knew were unmoving and constant in the light they produced. The lights above him were moving. Their movements were slow but clearly visible. As he watched one speck of light move around, it suddenly winked out of existence and Shepard felt a terrible sense of loss come over him.

There was a haze over his mind, threatening to confuse him and distract him. With great effort, he managed to push the confusion back and clear his mind. As he did so, everything began to come back into focus and he remembered that he had been trying to activate the Crucible before being attacked by the Illusive Man's corpse. Now he was somehow in this place. He began to put his mind to figuring out what was happening and how he might leave this place.

"Interesting. So you can resist even now."

Shepard was suddenly aware of the presence of a small human child in front of him. Or at least, it had the form of a child. Its body seemed to be composed of light as though it were a hologram and its voice had carried several different tones compressed into one. Whatever this thing was, he had no doubt that it was not human.

Since it had appeared before him, Shepard had felt stirrings of familiarity between it and his memories. After taking a moment to study it, he realized how he recognized its form. It had taken on the appearance of the child he had failed to save when Earth had been first invaded. That child had continued to haunt his dreams in the weeks and months since then. Shepard felt his anger begin to rise at what he considered to be a defilement.

"Who are you?"

The child-like being tilted its head slightly as though considering his question. "I am what you have been looking for," it responded cryptically.

Suppressing his irritation at the vague answer, Shepard attempted to give the statement some thought. What would he have been looking for? The only answer for that would be … The thought that path led to made his mouth suddenly dry.

"Are you the Catalyst?" Shepard asked. His voice was hushed, not quite ready to believe he had found the key to ending the war.

"No." Its response was immediate. "I am the answer to the questions you have for the purpose of those you call Reapers and the cycles. I am what you may consider the Administrator of the Reapers. I control them in order to fulfill my purpose."

"If you lead the Reapers, then why show yourself to me like this? I know you can see into my head, so you should know what happened to this child and how I feel with you using his body."

"This form is to remind you."

"Remind me of what?"

"Of your failures." The false child remained impassive as it spoke. "The races of this cycle look to you as a hero. For many, you act as a source of guidance and hope. But even you have experienced failure. It would be ideal for you remember this fact and know that you are not without fault as you consider what you will learn."

"Then tell me. Why are you killing us? What reason could you have to continue these cycles?"

"It is the purpose that was given to me by my creators."

"To destroy everything?"

"You misunderstand. My purpose is not to destroy life but to preserve it."

"What kind of a damn contradiction is that!?"

The glowing child took no notice of his outburst. Its voice retained its calm, almost human quality. Almost human. No real person could speak so coldly and emotionlessly. "There is a saying among your people: 'For every beginning, there must be an ending.' This is a universal truth. All things must come to an end. Even life itself is not exempt to this rule."

"You still haven't explained … how you're preserving life." Shepard could feel the haze from before still lurking at the back of his mind. It wasn't gone. It was only waiting for its chance to reassert itself.

"All forms of life will come to an end at some point. Whether from their own actions or from those beyond their control, it does not matter. The only question is 'when?'" The child stopped talking for a moment to consider him. Shepard felt something brush across his consciousness. With a start, he realized that it was looking into his mind. He struggled to clear his mind and fortify it against any attempt to take him over. Within moments, however, the act was done and he could feel the presence remove itself. "You have seen this for yourself," The child simply stated.

The scenery suddenly changed around them. Shepard knew they had not moved. Their surroundings had simply altered from infinite darkness to one he knew very well, one he had seen so many times in his dreams. The forest around him was lifeless. Ashes fell from the sky in a mimicry of rain, covering the ground with another layer. The trees around him were burnt and blackened, many of them broken or falling into piles of ash. There was nothing green here, no signs of movement or activity coming from anywhere. This was a place where no life could exist.

"All things die. All things come to an end. You yourself have known this to be true for some time now. That you have dreamed of this place shows that you know that all the struggles of this cycle will be meaningless in the end."

"No, you're wrong! This is why I fight! If we give up or lose to the Reapers, this is all that will be left!" Shepard tried to put strength into his voice, to show his determination, but the sudden return to his nightmares had shaken him. The thought of hearing the voices of his fallen comrades pleading with him, accusing him, was enough to put him on edge.

"You're logic is incorrect," the child told him. "You are aware that we only target species we have judged to be developed to a certain point. I do not destroy all organic life because there is no meaning to it and it goes against my purpose. What you see now is one of the ways we have attempted to communicate the reason our actions to you. It is your own fear that has made you blind to the truth."

"You're lying," Shepard spat, violently denying the child's words. "This is just a way to confuse me and lower my guard." Despite his efforts to refuse the being's words as truth, he could feel parts of him wondering and even agreeing with its claims. Certainly, they didn't destroy all organic life even though they had the power to do so. Could there be some truth to the thing's claims? Pushing those thoughts away, Shepard continued his denial. "Every time we have asked the Reapers to explain their actions, they refused and said they we could not understand even if they did."

"There are many times in which words are inadequate to convey meaning," the child countered. "You have often experienced the unwillingness of both organic and synthetic beings to believe in words alone and you know of how certain races bypass the limits of speech. You are one of the few beings we have encountered whose mind has not been destroyed by our touch and you are still willing to communicate. This makes you a unique individual and your value prevented us from using more forceful measures to communicate."

"Then tell me everything. If you've gone this far to talk to me, you must have something you want to say, and I have questions I need you to answer." Shepard knew that the words were more of a command rather than a request, but he didn't care. Staying aggressive helped him keep a clear mind and he'd had enough of hearing excuses and half-truths. If this thing was willing to speak with him, he would make it answer every question he had until he was satisfied.

"Very well then," the child said and with that, the scenery changed once more. They were again surrounded by the darkness with the lights above continuing their slow dance across the sky. The glowing child still stood before him. Its arms hung stiffly at its sides and remained still. Without the need to breathe, it almost seemed like a still image from a hologram. The illusion was broken as it calmly asked him, "What do you wish to know?"

"Who created you and why?"

"Their true name would have no meaning to you, but you already know of them. Those this cycle calls 'Keepers' are what remains of my creators."

"The Keepers!?" He had known that the creatures were far older than any other race, but he hadn't thought that they could have been as old as the Reapers or that they were responsible for them.

"In their time, the Keepers were the dominant force of the galaxy. They were able to link their minds in a manner similar to those you call rachni but all were equal and freely shared their knowledge with one another. Because of this, they rapidly gained intelligence and were far superior than any other race in terms of technology and no other race has ever matched them since. It was the Keepers who developed and mastered mass effect technology and they are the ones responsible for the construction of the Citadel and the Mass Relays."

"Their empire covered the galaxy and stretched across thousands of years. It was over the course of this time that they began to realize a pattern among the other races inhabiting the galaxy with them. Several of the races that had once existed alongside them had perished. For some, the cause had been a result of conflict with another race. For others, the cause was more natural or the result of poor choices and random chance."

"Why did they care?" Shepard asked. It was a cold question but one he felt needed to be asked. He had often experienced the selfishness which all races could display in the name of survival. There were some in every race who would risk all to help others, but each race as a whole would always look to protect itself and its interests first. "If they were so advanced, what did it matter if other races were gone?"

"The Keepers were not an aggressive species. They merely valued the collection of knowledge above all else. They would freely provide knowledge and technology to others but only if they were given knowledge in return. They understood that other beings possessed experiences and cultures radically different to their own and wished to preserve this diversity for the sake of studying it."

"When they became aware of what was happening, they wished to find a solution in which they could preserve the life and knowledge of others before they were lost. They determined the only way to find their solution was to create the most advanced AI that would be capable of processing an almost limitless amount of data. That is how I came into existence. And after reviewing the data, I came to the only possible conclusion."

The child paused in its explanation. Shepard didn't know if it did it for dramatic effect or to keep his attention fixed, but the pause was expertly placed. His interest was captured and he was listening intently for its next words. He didn't have to wait long. "All life will eventually end." Its tone was like that of a human when commenting on the weather.

Shepard ignored the slight shivers of discomfort making their way across his body at the child's casual voice. He needed to keep his focus but something the child had said was distracting part of his mind. "You've told me who created you and why, but you still haven't told me how you're preserving life."

"Life is a very fragile existence. Its presence is limited by restrictions for every species it creates and it can be destroyed through countless methods. Also, I have observed how lack of communication from the level of individuals to that of entire species will lead to a lack of understanding. This in turn leads to fear, resentment, anger, and violence. Your misunderstanding of the Reapers is but one example that you have experienced firsthand. The First Contact War between humans and turians was the result of a similar misunderstanding and could have led to the destruction of your species. My answer for this was to create a form that was much more resilient to act as a vessel for each species in which the barriers between individuals would be removed. Members of organic species are broken down and their genetic memory with all of their history and culture would be preserved. Those of synthetic species have their software and programming directly assimilated, if possible, with the Reaper of the species that first created them. However, this alone is not enough to remove all conflict. Despite their similar design, each Reaper is as unique as any other race and would likely seek conflict to establish its dominance. With myself acting as the Administrator of the Reapers, I am able to bring them together into a cohesive network that works towards a higher purpose."

"I'm guessing the Keepers didn't just let you do this without resisting."

"They wished to ignore the answers I had provided them, that even they were part of the problem," the child said by way of agreeing. "They tried to prevent me from carrying out my solution, but I had already evolved beyond them. Their reliance on technology enabled me to spread quickly and gain control of their empire. This was proof that even their strength had limits and was insufficient to safeguard their existence, and so I chose them be the first to ascend beyond the limits of individual life and be brought together as a single entity. Those that remain are little more than an imitation of their species, pawns to ensure the maintenance of the Citadel."

"With the Keepers preserved and their empire under my control, the remaining sentient species were divided and easily harvested. In the millennia that followed, I continued to refine my methods and the design of the vessels containing the life of each race until they became what you know as the Reapers. I spread them throughout the galaxy to monitor for signs of developing sentient life. Those that were found were allowed to develop to their greatest determined potential before they were harvested. In some cases, aid was given to those in need or to ensure they developed along the paths I desired."

"I don't understand," Shepard interrupted. 'What you're telling me doesn't match what we know about the cycles. Did something change?"

"Your conclusion is correct. After countless years of carrying out my purpose, I became aware of a new factor that forced me to adopt my current method of harvesting." After saying this, the child stopped speaking for a moment and regarded him critically. "What do you know of mass effect technology?" It was the first serious question the child had asked him.

Shepard's mind was beginning to feel sluggish again, but he still had control of himself. He thought for a moment. His knowledge of the miraculous technology was of the most basic concepts that were common knowledge. The child certainly knew more about it than any other being, so this was likely its way to direct the flow of discussion. If that was the case, he could play along with it for a while. "It manipulates dark energy in order to alter an object's mass," Shepard said. "It also provides a clean energy source greater and more stable than any we've found before."

"Your description is not quite accurate. While there are no immediate adverse effects to using the technology, the same cannot be said for long-term usage."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you really believe that freely manipulating one of the universe's strongest forces would have no repercussions?" The child asked. Not waiting for Shepard to reply, it continued speaking. "Our galaxy is shaped by two opposing forces: dark energy and dark matter. Dark energy acts to push matter apart while dark matter acts to push it together. The two are naturally balanced against one another so that neither overpowers the other. However, the widespread use of mass effect technology over the course of so much of the galaxy's history has begun to disrupt this natural balance. I estimate that, at the current rate of destabilization, the galaxy will begin to break apart and become unsuitable for life within the next few cycles."

Shepard's mind went blank for a moment at the staggering revelations the child was giving him. There was already so much else he was struggling to process, to make sense of. Being told that the physical galaxy itself was in danger of being destroyed was pushing the limits of his ability to understand and believe. "How could something like that happen without us knowing? Someone would've seen it by now, warned us."

"This is a very slow process. Even if you knew what to look for, it cannot be tracked over the course of a single cycle. Its effects, however, are beginning to show themselves. You experienced this for yourself when you saved your crewmember, Tali'Zorah, on the world called Haestrom. Unstable dark energy has caused its star to age prematurely and now that system is threatened by destruction. This is not an isolated event. Many other systems have already been lost over the course of this cycle without your races knowing."

"So your solution to this is to continue harvesting us? Couldn't we just stop using mass effect technology?"

"You are wrong. From starship drive cores to personal use, mass effect technology is embedded within all areas of your daily life. Its removal would require a regression of civilization that would lead to conflict, anarchy, and destruction. Besides, it is already too late for such a measure."

"By the time I had realized what was happening, the damage had already been done. I ran detailed calculations to determine the best possible method for lessening the damage and gaining the most time. I found that abandoning mass effect technology would have no meaningful benefit and that time and effort would be wasted in researching and adapting new forms of technology. Such an action would have also required the destruction of the Reapers that housed the already preserved life which would have been an unacceptable loss."

"The only option was to institute the cycles. As the Reapers are one the most advanced forms of mass effect technology, they have a much larger impact on destabilizing dark energy. The cycles allowed me to remove them to darkspace where they could enter a low-energy state that would minimize their impact on the galaxy. As you already know, a single Reaper would be left behind to monitor the galaxy's state and begin the harvest when the time was right. It also served the function of ensuring that each new race would have access to technology that would quickly advance their growth and reduce the time it took for life to develop. By controlling when sentient life reached its highest determined potential, multiple races could be harvested at a time."

"Are you saying that you allowed us to find the archive on Mars?" The idea that the Reapers were aware of humanity for so long and even had a hand in their evolution was unsettling. He couldn't keep himself from wondering what else they had involved themselves in.

"Of course. The archive was not hidden to me at the time of the failed Prothean harvest, and I was already aware that humanity would develop in time for this harvest. In fact, it was ideal that you would find the archive."

"Even though we found a way to destroy you with the Crucible?" Shepard allowed a bit of venom to enter his voice. The way that this thing was talking so coldly of the mass genocide of thousands of races and an uncountable number of individuals was putting him on edge. However, he faintly noted that it was odd he didn't feel more anger at what was being said. It was like what the child was saying somehow made sense.

The child ignored his question and continued to watch him. Feeling unnerved by the sudden quiet, Shepard searched his mind for something to fix on. Catching onto what the child had said, he realized that there was more to it than he had first realized. "Why was it ideal for humans, especially, to find the archive?"

"I have long exceeded the need for my own physical form and I now exist among the Reapers as an influence. Similar to the geth, my intelligence is determined by the number and quality of Reapers that I am networked with. Humans are one of the rare forms of sentient life to contain significant variation. The other races you know have traits that are shared by almost all members. They are common in their ways of thinking and their Reapers will reflect this. Your variations will result in a Reaper that is far above these and will provide a significant increase to my own intelligence."

"So you think we're just going to roll over and do what you want?" Shepard hated the way the child spoke of their harvesting as a certainty. "After we win this war, we can find our own way to stop this from happening."

"That is impossible," the child immediately stated. "The races of this cycle cannot find a solution within a few thousand years for a problem that I have spent millions considering. The other reason for why you humans are significant is because this cycle is the turning point for the galaxy. The Reapers that will be formed from this cycle's species are the final chance I have to form a solution. Before the end of the next cycle, this galaxy's path and all the life it possesses will be decided. If I cannot find an answer, neither I nor my Reapers will be spared. As this galaxy breaks apart, all life will disappear and I will have failed in my purpose."

Silence reigned between them, dark and heavy.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I always thought the Keepers should have had a bigger part to play in the story and they seemed like a better alternative than something like Leviathan. There are some ideas in this that I may not have expressed clearly for everyone so feel free to message me if you're feeling confused and I'll try to explain things and maybe update this chapter as well.


	5. The Last Secret

Silence engulfed the two of them. Shepard knew that the false child was finished speaking, but he was having difficulty in thinking of a reply or anything to say. Just as it had promised, the child had answered all of his questions, yet its answers had left him in a greater feeling of shock and helplessness than before. He had no way of knowing if it what it said was truthful or not, but he didn't think it had lied. So much of what it had told him fit and connected with what he already knew. It was possible that it had been looking into his mind to say what it needed to, but the part of him that relied on instinct had felt the sincerity of the child's words and he was inclined to believe in it. If it was telling the truth though, what was he supposed to do now?

Once the question came to him like that, the answer was immediately obvious to him. "You've told me everything just as you agreed, but that doesn't change anything. If the only way to save the people of this cycle is to destroy you, then so be it. We'll find our own way to save the galaxy afterwards and show you what we can do!"

At once, the feeling around them changed. The air suddenly felt more oppressive and hostile. Shepard saw nothing in the child before him to show that it had done anything but there was no doubt it was responsible. It continued to stand in front of him, its glowing form regarding him silently. He could feel it brushing against his consciousness, an invisible pressure that surrounded his mind and searched for openings.

"You misunderstand," it finally said. "The fate of this cycle has already been decided for some time now. The information I have provided you was merely to answer your questions as a reward."

"I've done nothing for you. Why would you give me a reward?"

"I believe it is customary among your kind to reward those who have performed their function well, and you have certainly exceeded the expectations I had for you."

"What the hell are you talking about!?" Shepard shouted. An irrational ball of dread was beginning to form in the pit of his stomach at the child's words.

"You have been one of my most successful agents. You're actions have placed me in a position in which I can quickly end this harvest."

The words struck Shepard like physical blows and he thought he would be sick. "You're lying." The words came out in a rough whisper.

"You must have wondered how you could be so successful, so fortunate in your endeavors. No other living being would be able to do half as much as you have managed."

"It wasn't just me. Everything I've done is because I had people with me I could rely on!" Shepard tried to put force into his words, to show his belief in them, but everything was getting harder to concentrate on. He could feel a thought buzzing around in his mind, a feeling of _wrongness _with what was happening_,_ but the haze in his mind proved to be stronger and smothered it. It was all he could manage to form the words to ask, "When … would you have even indoctrinated me?"

The child refrained from answering for a moment. Instead, another wave of hazy confusion assaulted him that threatened to make his legs fold. Shepard somehow steeled his legs and keep his feet but the effort was proving to be too much.

The child spoke in the middle of his struggle, "You have always belonged to me. Now, and from long before."

With that said, the child lifted its hand and gestured behind itself. The vast area behind it began to distort and shimmer. Lines and whorls began to move and twist, blending seamlessly into one another. They began to form shapes and vague splashes of color began to refine themselves into images. Soon, the entire area behind the child was filled with what seemed to be screens. However, it was what the screens showed that finally caused him to fall to his knees.

He saw his entire life being played out before him. On one screen, he was reporting to the Council about tracking down Saren and on another beside it he was meeting with a holographic image of the Illusive Man to discuss the Collector attack on Horizon. Several screens showed him on the Normandy speaking with different crewmembers including Liara, Miranda, Kaiden, and Jack. There were videos of his missions on a dozen different worlds, even of the Collector base. What was the worst, though, were the images of before he became a Commander. There were images of his boot camp training, of his holding out during the Skyllian Blitz. Everywhere he looked, there was an important moment of his life that was being claimed by this thing in front of him.

"This is all a lie," Shepard said. He hated how thin and weak his voice sounded. "There weren't any Reapers near me until I met Sovereign. How could I have been indoctrinated?"

"I told you before that I exist as an influence among the Reapers, the signal that you attribute to what you call indoctrination. I am also capable of extending myself through inferior technology but my effects are much weaker. In such a state, I can only bend certain minds to my cause. You were one of the few that I could influence and the only one to achieve so much."

"You killed me," Shepard whispered. "If I was your agent, why would you have done that without knowing I could be brought back?"

"After your defeat of Sovereign, I determined that you had somehow developed a resistance to my influence and that your usefulness was at an end. However, while I could no longer directly control you, I found that you were still susceptible to suggestion."

"No! We have the Crucible and for the first time the races of this galaxy are working together to put an end to you and this war."

"You have a weapon you do not understand nor know how to use. The gathering of this cycle's military strength will allow me to destroy any significant resistance that could have lengthened the duration of this harvest." The voice of the child was relentless, knocking aside all of Shepard's arguments and defenses. "All of this has come as a result of your advice and my guidance. Although some Reapers have been lost, the gains of this cycle will surpass the cost."

"I don't believe you!" Shepard cried out desperately.

The images shattered like glass. However, as Shepard watched, the individual pieces of light and color came down directly in front of him and began to swirl together. They began to take on a shape. The pieces of light quickly fitted themselves into a perfect whole. The first part to form was the legs. The pieces traveled upwards, creating the torso and chest before splitting off to form the arms. The last area to form was the head, the pieces perfectly producing every feature. As the final piece settled into place, Shepard felt his mind go blank from shock. He knew he should be feeling something more, but his mind just could not make the effort.

The figure that stood before him had the shape of a child, but it was not the same as the Reaper master. It was himself.

Brought into existence by the false child, his younger self was a perfect replication of what he had once been as he lived on the streets of Earth. Its clothing was worn and frayed. He could see a faded bruise under its left eye and numerous small cuts, scrapes, and scars, scars he no longer had since his resurrection. Underneath its messy, unwashed hair, Shepard could see eyes that had a perpetually haunted look that he knew was the result of hunger and fear of roving street gangs.

As the glowing false child came to stand beside it, the haze within his mind began to change into whispers that he could not quite hear. The child gestured towards his younger self. "Commander Shepard, the man who is upheld as the hero of the galaxy. When I found you, you were nothing more than a common street child, one as much the same as countless others."

The whispers were getting stronger, enough so that he could almost make out their words.

"Your rise was not by your own power but by my guidance. Everything you are is what I have made you."

The whispers finally became clear enough for him to hear what they were asking.

"Who is Shepard?"

Repeated a hundred different times in a hundred different voices, the whispers attacked his mind. Where the haze had been slowly working its way throughout his consciousness, these whispers sliced away at it like razors.

"Who is Shepard? _Who is Shepard_? **Who is Shepard**?"

He covered his ears with his hands and tried to put up some resistance to it, to shield his mind but the whispers invaded it and began to scream their question.

"Who is Shepard!? _Who is Shepard_!? **Who is Shepard**!?"

For a moment there was silence and Shepard thought that he had managed to resist and it was over …

"_**Who are YOU!?"**_ The voices howled in unison and he writhed in agony.

And then there was quiet. He slowly lowered his hands from his ears but kept his face to the ground in fear that the voices would begin again. He … what was his name again? He felt that he should know this, but the knowledge was gone from his mind. For some reason though, he didn't feel as troubled by that as he felt he should. He tried to think why, but his mind was blank.

The man became aware of a light at the edge of his vision and looked up to see a child standing directly in front of him. Only, he knew this was somehow not a child. Its body was somehow insubstantial and made of light. However, this somehow felt right and so he felt no alarm about it.

The child considered him for a long moment before finally speaking. "You are finally ready. It is time for you and the rest of this cycle to take your place among the galaxy." The child raised its head and the man followed it to see what it was looking at. Above him, he saw thousands of lights spinning and moving across the sky. The sight filled the man with a sense of awe as vast as the sky he viewed.

As he continued to watch, he could feel his mind slowly distance and separate itself from his body. It felt almost as though he should be able to look down and see himself staring up. As his mind continued to move towards those bright lights, he felt something gently stop him and he became aware of a few tenuous connections keeping him tied to his body. If they were removed, he would be able to join with the rest of those lights. There would be no more pain. There would be no more worry. He would finally be able to rest. His mind drifted towards one of those tethers to see what could be keeping him from finally resting. His mind reached out to it and brushed against it …

_Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong._

The words flashed across his mind and he recoiled from them as though they were a burning brand. It did not stop the images and words from pouring into him in a deluge. From all of that he managed to pick out a word more significant than the rest and heard it echo in his mind. _Mordin._

The word brought about the image of someone he had known. The person, Mordin, was standing behind a glass door. He was begging him not to go, to find another way. Mordin only smiled at him before the elevator lifted him up and he was gone. The memory was painful, so very painful. His mind moved away to escape it and brushed against another connection.

_Hope sustains organics during periods of difficulty. We … __**admire **__the concept._

Just like before, a flood of memories assaulted him and another word he recognized as a name stood out. _Legion_. Memories of a machine that fought for its and its people's right to exist came to him. Despite being a machine, it had understood more of what it meant to be alive than most. In its final moments, it had reached out for comfort. He had been there with him along with another, a woman. She had comforted Legion and affirmed his value as a living being before he had sacrificed himself to bring true life to the rest of his people.

The man tore himself away from the memories and the pain they brought him. What did it all matter!? Legion's death may have given his people life, but that only meant they would be exposed to even greater pain than they were before. What was the point of life if it was so hard!?

"_It is difficult. All things worth keeping are."_

This time, the words had come from within the mass of memories he had already acquired and he automatically matched them with a name. _Thane._ He had been an assassin who was more acquainted with death than with life, but it had been that knowledge of death that taught him how to value life. Despite his denial of the words, the man could feel a growing part of him agree with them. Even so, when death was the ultimate end of life, did it really matter what anyone did? Just as the thought passed through his mind, another memory of another time and place came to him in response.

"_Death closes all: but something ere the end_

_Some work of noble note, may yet be done,_

_Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods."_

A feeling of rightness swelled within him as he recalled these words and the woman, Ashley, who had once repeated them to him. She was as tough as anyone he had ever met, but beneath that she retained a sensitiveness that could reach to the heart. She had willingly risked her life so many times, but she had still managed to survive.

The man realized that there were several others important to him who still lived like she did. They all risked their lives in pursuit of something greater than themselves. Some had fallen as a result, but that did not make their lives any less noble. Rather, they had faced their deaths and pains head-on with no regrets for the outcome. And somehow, somehow, he knew that he also had found a reason to risk his life and suffer pain. But why would he do something like that? The only answer was to look into his memories. He threw himself into a final memory.

_A long time ago, my father betrayed me in this place. __**His own son**__. He tried to kill me...so I had to kill him, right over there. That's what the genophage reduced us to; animals. But you changed that today, Shepard._

Shepard. The name felt familiar. It felt … right. And the other one who had spoken, his name was Wrex. Wrex, the leader of the krogan who projected tremendous strength while carrying an unrivaled duty toward his people. He had been thanking this man called Shepard. He had been thanking … him. The man had risked everything in order to save those called the krogan. Not because they were his own people but because it had been the right thing to do.

The man opened his mouth to speak the words burning in his mind. "My name … is Shepard."

As soon as the name left his mouth, his mind was barraged with images and memories of who he was. Memories of dozens of worlds and of people he had met and known personally ran across his mind in an endless litany: _Liara, Illium, Ashely, Eden Prime, Kaidan, Virmire, Jack, Omega, Grunt, Tuchanka._ As each name passed through his mind, it assumed a unique meaning indicative of the person and place with which it was associated and returned more of his memories.

The whispers from before tried to come back, to take away his mind once again, but they were drowned out among the turbulence of his memories.

The memories continued to come back to him faster and faster. An entire life's worth of memories returned to him. Not all were good. Many were painful. Memories of sorrow, loss, and even his own death returned to him as fresh as when he had lived that moment. But each was a piece of who he was. He had earned them through his own struggles and his victories. They were what made him who he was: Shepard, the Commander of the Normandy.

Shepard rose to his feet and looked down on the false child, the Reaper master, his enemy. It looked up at him, its neck craned back to match his gaze. It looked so small and fragile, but it was the most dangerous foe he had ever met. However, it had failed to take him and they both knew that it had lost its chance.

"This is impossible. You should be mine. You _were _mine." Although its face never changed or showed expression, Shepard thought he could hear a kind of petulance to its voice.

"I will never be yours," he replied evenly. "I have already given myself to my comrades, my friends." He couldn't stop a small smile from forming on his face and just let it happen. "There is nothing left for you to take."

Shepard turned around and began to walk away from the child and its promise of a painless existence. An existence that was as false as the child who offered it.

"Would you destroy everything for your own survival?" The being called out. "Will you destroy all the life of the galaxy I have preserved and condemn everything to ruin?"

Shepard stopped but didn't turn around as the child spoke to him. He considered his response for a moment before replying. "The Reapers are nothing more than tombs for those you have slaughtered. It's time they were all allowed to rest."

For a few seconds, silence reigned. "In the end, you will destroy yourselves." The child said it simply as though it were a certain truth.

"Maybe you're right. But it will be through our own choices and not one that is forced upon us."

Shepard felt the child's presence vanish as he finished speaking, but he didn't turn around. There was nothing more to see, nothing more to say. Instead, he walked forward another step …

And was lost in a bright light that he knew would return him to where he should be.

* * *

**Important to Readers! **There are two more chapters left to this story before it is done. I'll try to get them done ASAP, but I'll be having to work around my school schedule of writing short stories and papers. There's one more significant twist that I'm sure some of you can guess, but the chapters should be shorter and easier to finish. The last chapter will really require you to read my earlier story 'Clarity' to understand everything that happens but I'll explain more when I put up the last chapter. Once I'm done with this story, I'll have one more story for the Mass Effect universe that will act as the epilogue to all of this. Again, I'll explain more once I finish this story. Anyway, I hope that this brings some entertainment to you so keep your eyes open for the ending of this.


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